Lovesick turtles are crossing Michigan’s roads, and wildlife officials are asking drivers to avoid them as they creep along in search of a place to nest.
“I receive calls every year from people in my area about dead turtles on the roads and have few answers for them,” Scott Heintzelman said in a May 8 release, fisheries biologist and Central Lake Michigan Unit manager for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. “It is particularly sad to see or hear about turtles that have been intentionally hit on the road.”
Late spring and early summer is mating season for Michigan’s turtles. Female turtles search for proper nesting sites.
“Late spring and early summer are times when turtles are moving en masse across the landscape,” the DNR said in a release. “The females are actively looking for nesting sites, and males also just kind of wander this time of year, moving between the lakes, ponds and streams they call home. This overland movement often involves crossing roads, which unfortunately results in noticeable levels of turtle mortality throughout the state.”
The DNR said turtles killed on the state’s roads can affect local population numbers and represents the largest direct loss of adult turtles by humans.
“Turtles don’t begin mating and laying eggs until age 8-10 and have extremely low natural mortality as adults. If not crushed by a car tire, they can and often do live for many decades,” the DNR said.
Box turtles can surpass a century in age; the oldest known box turtle lived to be 138 years old, the DNR noted on its website.
Because turtles are slow to reproduce, the loss of even 6% of a local population can push that group toward extinction, the DNR said.
“…anything the public can do to help reduce roadkill during spring and summer months can greatly benefit local populations,” the release said.
Here’s more on how to save turtles in Michigan.
What to know about turtle mating rituals
Turtles don’t live in their shells, they are their shells
Turtles are not animals that live inside a shell, the shell is part of their body.
A turtle’s shell is composed of two parts. The upper portion, or carapace, is made of flat bones covered by broad scales and is connected to the backbone and ribs.
The lower shell is the plastron and includes the ribs.
What should I do when I see a turtle in the road?
There are guidelines from the DNR for residents who come across a turtle crossing the road:
Here are more tips on how to help a turtle cross the road from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services:
In addition, officials urge residents to not touch or move turtles unless they are in direct harms way, and to never take them home.
How many species of turtle live in Michigan?
There are 10 species living in Michigan. Among these species, three are threatened and one is of special concern and in need of conservation.
Here is the complete list of turtles in Michigan of which you may see crossing the road:
How can I help protect Michigan’s turtles?
To help officials track turtle populations in Michigan, residents may submit a turtle sighting (with an image) via MIHerpAtlas.org. To begin reporting sightings, you have to register an account.
Residents can also help turtles thrive by never buying wild-caught turtles from pet dealers (or releasing captive-reared ones into the wild), purchasing a fishing license and learning more about Michigan’s 10 species by visiting local nature centers.
Contact Sarah Moore @ smoore@lsj.com
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Turtles are out, crossing roads. How you can help Michigan species survive
Reporting by Sarah Moore, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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